


James the Just

by Lindenharp



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Angst, Child Abuse, Double Drabble, Episode Related, Episode: s04e01 The Dead of Winter, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-16
Updated: 2012-06-16
Packaged: 2017-11-07 22:04:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/435944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lindenharp/pseuds/Lindenharp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's back at Crevecoeur.  Nothing has changed; everything has changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	James the Just

**Author's Note:**

> Allusions to child abuse (physical and sexual). Spoilers for "Dead of Winter", and two short lines of dialogue taken from that episode.
> 
> Beta: Wendymr.

“Dad, I don’t want to go,” he mutters.  
  
“Have you got something more important to do?”  It’s the Warning Voice.  It means The Belt.  
  
He’s gonna play Butch and Sundance with Paul.  (He’s Sundance, cos he’s got yellow hair.)  They’ll leap off the hayloft ‘cliff’.  “It’s not fair.”  
  
“James!  Apologise at once!”  
  
“That’s all right, Hathaway.  Our young James the Just is simply emulating his namesake.”    
  
He was named for another saint, for James the ‘postle, Father Martin said.  But Dad says he mustn’t ever  _ever_ contradict His Lordship.  
  
His Lordship smiles.  “James can have his piano lesson another day.”  
  


* * *

  
Twenty-five years later (centuries later; only yesterday), he is back at Crevecoeur.  Nothing has changed; everything has changed.  There’s the hayloft where he played.  There’s the chapel where he prayed.  There’s the summerhouse where he was— no, no, he won’t think about that.  
  
Here is Miss Scarlett, as lovely as before.  Here is Butch Cassidy, answering the door.  Here is His Lordship, master of the Hall (master of us all).  
  
“James the Just.  That's what we used to call you, wasn't it?”  
  
“I don't remember that, sir.”  
  
It’s his second lie of the day.  The friendly smile was his first.

**Author's Note:**

> This double drabble was inspired by Tetsubinatu's comment to my fic _The Martyrdom of St Sebastian_ , that there must be a back story to James grumbling about his patron saint not being James the Just.


End file.
